


life-size

by unhappyrefrain



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: (thats not a tag but i dont care im making it a tag), Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Drabble Collection, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Hot-Air Balloons, Implied Sexual Content, Multi, Scarves, The Talk, Trans Male Character, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-01 11:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10188833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unhappyrefrain/pseuds/unhappyrefrain
Summary: As time goes on, we become more real to each other.(or, the non-shumika drabble collection)





	1. mika/natsume: flirting

**Author's Note:**

> some of these are really old some of these are relatively recent but i'm making a separate collection for all the shumikas. there would be too many shumikas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trans boy natsume and genderfluid (switching between he/him and she/her) mika

"I'm lucky, since my voice is naturally LOW." Natsume perches on the precariously thin arm of the antique couch. "I don't think I would have been able to get in without IT."

"But all the other stuffs? Like, don't y'have stuff on yer documents 'n all?"

"Unfortunately, YES," Natsume sighs. "But I got in through... other METHODS. So the administration knows, but they've kept it quiet, and so have the TEACHERS."

"Didja bribe them? Scandalous," Mika teases, tilting her head back to look up at Natsume still balancing on the edge of the couch.

"My _mother_ bribed THEM. With detailed readings for every member of the Tenshouin conglomerate's family, including the Emperor HIMSELF."

Mika's mouth forms a little 'o' of surprise, and he blinks, wide-eyed. "Jus' that? I thought ya woulda needed money fer that kinda bribe, but..."

"A complete vision of the rest of one's mortal life, including financial occurrences, future stocks, and the age at which one will DIE... Don't you think that'd be a little more DESIRABLE?" Natsume almost winks, the corner of his mouth turning up in a catlike smile. "As opposed to just another comparatively small sum of money that such a rich family wouldn't really NEED."

"Mm, thas' true." Mika nods, understanding, and then her eyes lid a little, daring-- brave, all of a sudden, now that he sees Natsume with that smile... "Well, yer super cute, anyway, so maybe y'never needed to do that at all?"

Natsume's smug expression immediately cracks, as he loses his balance and nearly topples off the arm of the couch. He manages to catch himself, and Mika watches his throat move as he swallows, regaining what _looks_ like a semblance of composure. But the illusion breaks when Mika catches a glance of his face, which is almost as red as the hair that hides it, and when he speaks his voice is lower, doesn't twist at the end of his sentence the way it usually does. 

"A-Are you making a pass at me? Naughty kitten."

"Who, me? Nnah, no way~"


	2. yuuta/shinobu: hot air balloons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from july, for my dear friend marley ♡

“How did you even _get_ this hot air balloon?” Yuuta asks as he watches Shinobu fiddle with the lighter, ready to light the burner flame under the expanse of the envelope. They’re still sitting on the ground, not afloat yet, but the balloon has been partially inflated with the cold air fan, and all they have to do is blow the burner to buoy it up.

“Ah, good question! I asked Shinkai-dono, who is friends with Hibiki-dono, who enjoys hot air balloons… He helped with the setup, you see,” Shinobu grins, pointing at the huge fan that had previously been blowing into the envelope. “It seems you have to inflate it with cold air first! Hot air balloons are fascinating…”

“Yeah, how do people do this all by themselves?” Yuuta laughs, prodding Shinobu. “Um, you light the burner and I’ll get in then? I’ll pull you up when you’re done.”

“Understood!” Shinobu almost does an army salute, but stops himself. Unsuitable. He clicks on the lighter— yes, all his training with fire is finally paying off!— and turns up the gas, gently bringing the flame into proximity, careful not to let his hand shake, and a huge _whoosh_ catches them both off guard as the burner sparks into life. “Yuuta-kun! Your hand!”

“I got you!” Yuuta is smiling so wide he wonders if his face will break as he extends his hand to Shinobu, pulling him up into the basket just as the balloon starts to slowly drift upwards, gently losing contact with the ground. Once they’re both inside, Shinobu can’t help but break out into a cheer, excitedly peering out of the basket to see that yes, the balloon is _leaving the ground,_ and it’s just hot air doing it! Yuuta seems to be just as happy as he is, looking straight up into the mouth of the envelope, colorful and decorated with light shining through it, casting both their faces in faint rainbow hues. 

It takes them about two minutes to rise high enough that falling would be dangerous. Five minutes in, and Shinobu feels high above the clouds, even though he can only just see the top of the roof from here. But it’s Yuuta beside him, and neither of them say a word as they drift higher and higher, until they can see the tops of the trees and the slope of the beach into the ocean just down the hill. 

Then Yuuta breaks out in giddy laughter. 

“W-we did it! Oh, wow, this is…” He looks over the side of the wicker basket. Shinobu is behind him at the other side, leaning the other way so as not to unbalance the balloon, but back-to-back it’s warm and comforting, and Yuuta doesn’t have to see Shinobu’s face to know how happy he is. “What gave you this idea anyway? Why a hot air balloon?”

At that, Shinobu sputters a bit. It’s _obvious_ he’s trying to come up with an excuse, but finally he turns around to Yuuta and gives up. “I… erm… I asked Shinkai-dono for ideas for…”

Yuuta waits; _oh jeez Shinobu is cute when he’s flustered._

“Ideas for unique d-dates,” he finally finishes, and then immediately hides his face.

“This is a date?” Yuuta exclaims, and then he smiles so wide his face starts to hurt. “Shinobu-kun! This is the best date idea ever!”

Shinobu squeaks, and he’s so embarrassed he turns back to looking over the side of the basket. Yuuta concedes and does the same, still giggling; but then there’s the shy, gentle brush of Shinobu’s hand against his, then the twining of their fingers, and if holding hands like this feels so _close,_ Yuuta doesn’t think he’d ever have to turn around again, or ever come back down to earth.


	3. narusena: fake dating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 sentence prompt. from like forever ago i don't even remember who this was for

It’s been all over the trashy entertainment magazines lately— “ _Sena Izumi seen frolicking with new beau from same unit!_ ” was the first one, after Knights took a trip to the beach and Arashi had _splashed him in the fucking face so of course he had to fight back_ , and “ _A day on the town with Narukami?! Model-idols rumored to be dating_ ” was a week afterwards when Arashi had gotten fed up with Izumi’s skincare regimen and dragged him to an upscale makeup store, cooing over all the pretty shades of lipstick that would look perfect on his face, and when Izumi rejected all of them, pouting and testing them out instead.

But Izumi’s getting tired of all the interview requests centered around his New Blossoming Intra-Unit Love Affair, and the weird looks from the rest of Knights are a little too much to put up with at practice every day, so after their gravure shoot Izumi and Arashi hatch a plan— the next time someone asks either of them if it’s true, they’re just going to say yes. 

Arashi giggles and asks if this means they’re allowed to get handsy in public, and Izumi just groans; _it won’t be forever,_ is what he tells himself, _just two weeks and then we’ll publicly break up and everyone will leave us alone,_ but for some reason the thought of Arashi’s perfect hands twining into his as they head into town for a couple of crepes suddenly isn’t so bad.

 


	4. maoritsu + rei: the talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> old. actual vampires. mao isn't actually there (thank god. he'd probably die)

Logically, Ritsu knew there would come a day where he would have to hear The Talk, and he knew that with their parents' lack of motivation to ever discuss the subject it would be his shitty older brother taking up the torch, but what he doesn't quite understand is _why now?_  

Rei had sat him down after Maa-kun left this evening, a certain knowing shine in his eye, and Ritsu immediately knew-- it wasn't his fault Rei found out, he's really not too loud during sex, it was Maa-kun-- and before he could even protest, Rei launched into a calm, _detailed_ lecture explaining the ethics and mechanisms of sex _specifically_ between a vampire and a human. 

And now Rei has been going at it for thirty minutes. His head hurts.

Ritsu rolls his eyes as far back into his head as he possibly can when Rei clasps his hands together, as if to signify an end to the speech. "Ahh, my cute Ritsu is growing up," he muses, looking at him a little proudly, a little lonely, from across the antique couch that smells like dust and iron. “You should have told me, I’ll have to go over the same points with your Mao-kun later, you know—”

With that, Ritsu snaps. He flushes up to his ears with the little of his own blood he even _has_ , and in a not-so-steady tone, trying desperately to keep his voice leveled lest Rei call him cute _again_ , he spits out each syllable like stale blood:

“Stupid Anija. I’ve been alive for _Two. Hundred. Years._ And you think I’ve been a virgin up until last night?” 


	5. izumako (sort of?): scarf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from december, for doro, out of absolutely nowhere. i've never seen an izumako in my life what's an izumako
> 
> vague relationship you could take it either way

When Makoto goes to get his things and head home, the scarf is crammed into his shoe locker. It's red, thick, and obviously hand-knit, and there's a white strand somewhere in there-- a word or something that he can't make out yet, not when it's wadded up like that. Not a note or anything, and he pulls it out carefully, a bit puzzled as to why such a thing would be in there. Carefully, he unrolls the scarf and lets it dangle in its full length in front of him.

In retrospect, he shouldn't have been surprised at all.

The scarf, now that he looks at it, clearly says (in perfect English lettering, at least up until his name) I LOVE ゆう, with a big, dramatic heart at the end, and Makoto at least knows enough English to get the pun. Honestly, who else calls him that? Who else would make such a weird pun? Who else would _knit_ him a fucking _scarf?_

Something doesn't line up, though. Makoto can't imagine Izumi sitting down and taking the time to knit something for _anyone_ , even him. He can't imagine Izumi knitting, or even having the _patience_ for that. But the image comes to his mind anyway-- Izumi smiling softly as he weaves, a spool of fluffy red yarn at his side, just sitting there and working, on something like this. On something for him. And while it's a stretch, Makoto wouldn't doubt that Izumi would learn how to knit just to make sure Makoto doesn't catch a cold before the SS. 

To make something to keep him warm. To remind Makoto of him. And in a way Makoto isn't really used to.

In a way that feels soft, and comforting, and almost safe.

Makoto wraps the scarf around his neck, sits down on the bench and takes a moment to nestle into it, pulling it up above his nose and taking a breath, feeling the stray strings from the yarn tickle his face as he breathes. It smells a little like some sort of unisex perfume and a little like... Izumi. A scent that feels far away, a scent that makes him feel like following a path of yarn through a labyrinth to reach it-- reach _him_ \-- once again.

It takes him another ten minutes to get up and head home.


End file.
